Season 4 of Manifest is right around the corner! With the series jumping ahead two years after the events of the cliffhanger-filled season 3 finale, we have some theories about what might happen for the upcoming season and what questions we still have.
What Happened to Flight 828?
Of course, the one question that fans and the passengers have been pondering since the start of the series. We’ve been getting closer and closer to the truth, and while season 2 teased the idea that the passengers died and were resurrected, we got a bit more information in season 3 that the plane did indeed crash into the ocean. But that brought up the question of the plane that the passengers came back in that exploded on the tarmac and was then salvaged at Eureka.
With the Tailfin being found, even more questions arose. But the one I’m wondering about is for the very end of the season. In the finale, Captain Daly mysteriously reappeared in the plane’s cockpit at Eureka before disappearing again with the entire plane. So, what happened to it and Daly?
Time travel is a possible theory. The storm the night of the disappearance was filled with dark lightning. While we don’t know where the storm came from or what happens when you go through it, the plane did disappear from the sky and then reappear as if nothing happened. So, time travel? Resurrection?
So if that’s the case, the age-old question: what happened to Flight 828? Season 3 further proved that it’s very likely the plane initially did explode and then crash into the ocean, especially with the discoveries made at Eureka. When Ben and Saanvi returned the Tailfin to the ocean, it disappeared. It’s likely it found its way back to 828 when Daly came back and disappeared along with the plane only seconds later.
Where it went and how it disappeared will definitely be a big storyline for season 4 of Manifest, but for now, I’m just banking on the resurrection theory, and the plane itself may have wound up elsewhere. Especially if the connections to both Al-Zuras and Noah’s Ark prove to be true, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.
Where Did Cal Go?
Something else that happened in the final minutes of the season 3 finale was the reappearance of Cal Stone. Cal had disappeared earlier in the finale after touching the 828 Tailfin at Eureka, and Ben and Grace were freaking out and worried, not knowing where their baby boy went. When he came back at the Stone house, he aged five years.
This could also fit into the time travel theory since we obviously don’t know what happens with 828 just yet. As for why Cal was the one who disappeared when others who touched the Tailfin, like Ben, didn’t, it proves more that Cal has a unique role in this whole situation. Him having a special connection to the Callings and able to figure out things that his family couldn’t, on top of him disappearing after touching the Tailfin will likely play a big part in season 4.
Time travel is a definite possibility, but if that is also the case, does Cal still also have cancer? Since he was able to age five years and he seems to be doing well, it’s possible that the special marker he has in his blood made it so that he turned out fine. But until we know exactly where he was, we may never know.
Where Did Angelina Take Eden?
Throughout season 3, passenger Angelina took a liking to baby Eden, even trying to be her sister and more like Olive, especially after Angelina believes that she is connected to Eden and is her guardian angel. In the final minutes of season 3, Angelina locked Olive in the bathroom and stabbed Grace, stealing Eden. We never found out just where she went, but we do know that when Manifest returns and jumps ahead two years, Eden Stone is still missing.
Since Adrian and Eagan were planning a revolution of some type, it’s possible that Angelina went with them, or at least Adrian. Ben has spent two years searching for Eden with no luck, so we know that Angelina has taken her somewhere where they’ll never be found, and Ben would have likely thrown himself into finding Eden and dealing with the Callings on top of the Death Date. Obviously, it’s unknown how long that storyline will be going on for, but hopefully, it’s a happy ending.
What Are the Passengers Up To?
One of the biggest parts of the season 3 finale was that Adrian and Eagan had rounded up some of the passengers for what looked like a revolution of some type. Eagan was arrested, along with Randall, after they broke into Vance’s house and took his son hostage. Adrian, meanwhile, had made a point that the end of times was near, and His wrath will be felt. He also told Michaela that Ben was on the wrong path. So what exactly did he have planned?
Adrian had gotten it into the heads of several passengers that something has to be done. Could they be turning into what the Xers were? Putting others in danger? Or are they simply preparing for their inevitable Death Date? It’s possible this also ties into where Angelina took Eden to not only try to keep her safe but also knowing that they are connected, she could be trying to see what else or who else they’re connected to.
It’s likely the passengers will play a big part in season 4, and seeing what they’ve been up to during the time jump will be something to look forward to. And maybe we’ll even get even more answers … as we get more questions.
What Happens During the Time Jump?
Manifest is jumping ahead a full two years when season 4 premieres, bringing us just 18 months out from the Death Date, and two years of not seeing what the characters dealt with. We know that Eden is still gone, Ben is still grieving, Cal is struggling after coming back five years older, and the Death Date is as close as ever.
Part 1 of season 4 will include individual stories of the characters, catching viewers up on what happened during those two years. So it’s likely we’ll be seeing some flashbacks from the aftermath of those cliffhangers. Aside from Ben, it’s likely Olive would take Grace’s death extremely hard. She tried everything to get out of the basement, but with Angelina trapping her, she desperately called out for her mom with no luck. Seeing how she dealt with it would be heartbreaking, yet necessary, to watch. As well as everyone dealing with a now older Cal.
When Will Part 2 Premiere?
While we have yet to get part 1, it is never too early to speculate when we could be getting the final batch of episodes.
If Manifest is known for something, it is the great attention to dates. For starters, August 28 is a big day in the fandom as it is known as 828 Day after Flight 828. The renewal announcement from Netflix came on 828 Day last year, and this year, we got the premiere date and the first teaser for part 1. Now, even before 828 Day this year, fans were already speculating that the premiere date, or at least some big news, would come on 828 Day, and lo and behold, they were right. As for the premiere date, their theories came true for that as well.
When it was announced that part 1 of season 4 would premiere sometime in the fall of 2022, fans couldn’t help but notice a pretty big day that would be perfect. November 4. The day in 2018 that Montego Airways Flight 828 returned after 5 1/2 years. And, of course, on 828 Day, that premiere date was indeed revealed in a teaser that more than proved they had been planning it since the start.
Although a premiere date for season 4 part 2 has yet to be revealed, nor an estimation of when it could be, there is another particular date that might just be crazy enough to work. With any arrival, there has to be a departure, so what better way to end Manifest than on the day that it all started for Flight 828: April 7. Just like November 4, April 7 is on a Friday, and there’s a decent time in between the two days where it’s not too bad of a stretch.
If you were to ask me a couple of years ago when I would think Manifest would end had it gone all six seasons on NBC, I would tell you June 2, 2024, the Death Date. Unfortunately, that might be too far away, even for Netflix, especially considering filming has wrapped. But April 7, 2023 could definitely work, considering it would, coincidentally, be exactly 10 years since 828 disappeared.
It’s unknown when a premiere date for part 2 will be announced, but if Netflix stays the course, April 7 could be it. What do you think?
There are definitely more questions and theories flying around, but it’s hard to put them all in one article. But we only have one more week until some of these questions and more are answered when season 4 part 1 of Manifest premieres on Netflix! In the meantime, catch up on the series with our season 1 recap, season 2 recap, and our Nerds Rewatch Manifest series for season 3. Check out the rest of our Manifest coverage here, and stay tuned to our episodic recaps of season 4!
Season 4 part 1 of Manifest premieres next Friday, November 4 only on Netflix.
